“Do you like my drawing?” 

Brian found a caricature sketch of himself being shoved in his face. 

“Stunning.”

Justin stuck out his tongue, “You’re no fun.” 

Forty minutes in the air and he was already bored to death. Falling asleep on planes was impossible, drawing got old — believe it or not, and Brian was in his own world typing on his laptop. Inhaling and sighing rather loudly the scent of fruit traveled up his nose. He turned just in time to see Roland open a banana from the bottom and peel it upward. Justin gaped.

“Where did you learn how to do that?” 
“What peel a banana? I thought everyone knew how.”
“But you’re doing it backwards!” He laughed. 

“Am not,” Roland defended. “Who said there was a right way and wrong way to peel a banana? I suppose there’s a right way and wrong way to eat one too?” He raised his eyebrows and smirked. 

“I never thought about it before,” mused Justin, “I only know one way to eat a banana.”

“Show me.” Roland teased one end of the fruit against his lips. The very sexual entendre was not lost on Justin. This was a game, and he wanted to play. Never taking his eyes off Roland’s, Justin reached his tongue out and ran the tip of it over the entire length of the banana. Roland’s hand shook nervously as he watched, completely entranced with what he was doing. Slowly and carefully Justin took it in his mouth, feigning to take a bite.

Roland’s eyes were wide, lips parting with his outgoing breath as Justin reached up; guiding the hand that was feeding him, enclosing the fruit safely between his lips. He watched as the blonde’s cheeks hollowed for a moment of suction, then opening his mouth wide, nearly deep-throating the banana. Roland attempted to remain constant as he watched obscene things being done to the fruit. Deliberately locking eyes with Roland, Justin prepared to finish his performance with a prompt bite when he suddenly felt his airways being blocked. Out of no where, Brian’s hand came flying at his face, shoving the whole banana down his throat. 

“Oh my God!” Panicking because Justin was clearly choking, Roland lifted the arm rest on his chair, twisted Justin’s back towards him and coiled two arms around him. Pushing into his lower stomach, Justin gagged, face tinting unnatural colors before chunks of banana came flying out — landing all over Brian.

“Fuck!” He yelled, wiping slimy bits of banana off his face. Neighboring passengers began to stare at all the commotion. Roland pressed the flight attendant call button above his seat.

“Shit, Justin, are you alright? Can you breathe?” 
“I’m fine,” he gasped out, as if trying to convince himself, “I’m fine.” 
The whole situation shocked Roland. More terrifying than Justin’s choking was watching him assure the just arrived flight attendant nothing was wrong; while Brian vainly picked pieces of the splattered fruit off his suit. Mouth agape, he watched as the stuartess disappeared and Justin shoved past Brian, knocking the laptop into his lap, and frantically ran down the aisle to a lavatory. Practically shell-shocked, he looked at Brian who seemed perfectly content with himself. As if nothing had happened. 

“What the fuck was that about, Brian?”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Hands braced on the small sink, Justin closed his eyes to blot out the scenes that wouldn’t go away and wondered desperately if he would always be haunted by them. Underneath all the hurt and the anguish there was anger. Anger seething and boiling in injured silence. It was a hot magma of hate and disappointment, mixed together with shame and embarrassment. A volatile combination; Justin knew it.

The heartbreak Brian caused him was swift and enduring. It came with a pain so quick it was impossible to grab hold of, but so strong that it could not be extricated once rooted in the heart. Powerful enough to shatter dreams, destroy any hopes of happily ever after. Justin felt all of these things. 

He felt debilitated….disenchanted….disillusioned….

Worst of all, there was no cure for heartbreak, just acceptance. You could never repair something that was shattered into a million pieces; only a fool would try. Justin was done being a fool. Finished. He was determined to leave Brian — this time for real. 

Fumbling with the ring on his finger, he slid it off and threw it into the toilet and flushed it. 

And he couldn’t fucking wait to tell Brian all about it.